In a twist of fate, mere minutes before United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001, Tom Burnett left his wife with a haunting promise.
‘Don’t worry, we’re going to do something.’
These words resonated deeply, setting the stage for extraordinary courage amidst the chaos.
Tom Burnett was a 38-year-old father of three, serving as the COO of a medical device company. On that fateful day, he was on his way home to San Ramon, California, following a business trip.
When the hijackers seized control of the airplane, Tom acted swiftly. He made calls to his wife, Deena, unveiling the dire circumstances unfolding midair. Each call conveyed a deepening gravity, punctuated by Tom’s final declaration of resolve.
In the midst of the crisis, Tom assured Deena he wasn’t alone. Alongside fellow passengers like Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, and Jeremy Glick, they devised a plan to thwart the hijackers, determined to take back control of the flight. ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to do something, ‘ Tom’s calm yet firm voice reiterated.
Tragically, their valiant efforts did not succeed, as the plane ultimately crashed before the passengers could intervene. Yet, this profound bravery undoubtedly averted further catastrophe—thwarting the hijackers’ attempts to reach intended targets, potentially saving countless lives.
Transcript of Tom’s Last Calls to Deena:
6:27 a.m.( pacific time) First cell phone call from Tom to Deena
Deena: Hello
Tom: Deena
Deena: Tom, are you O.K.?
Tom: No, I’m not. I’m on an airplane that has been hijacked.
Deena: Hijacked?
Tom: Yes, They just knifed a guy.
Deena: A passenger?
Tom: Yes.
Deena: Where are you? Are you in the air?
Tom: Yes, yes, just listen. Our airplane has been hijacked. It’s United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco. We are in the air. The hijackers have already knifed a guy, one of them has a gun, they are telling us there is a bomb on board, please call the authorities. He hung up.6:31 Deena calls 911
6:34 The phone rang in on call waiting, Tom’s second cell phone call.Deena: Hello
Tom: They’re in the cockpit. The guy they knifed is dead.
Deena: He’s dead?
Tom: Yes. I tried to help him, but I couldn’t get a pulse.
Deena: Tom, they are hijacking planes all up and down the east coast. They are taking them and hitting designated targets. They’ve already hit both towers of the World Trade Center.
Tom: They’re talking about crashing this plane. (a pause) Oh my God. It’s a suicide mission…(he then tells people sitting around him)
Deena: Who are you talking to?
Tom: My seatmate. Do you know which airline is involved?
Deena: No, they don’t know if they’re commercial airlines or not. The news reporters are speculating cargo planes, private planes and commercial. No one knows.
Tom: How many planes are there?
Deena: They’re not sure, at least three. Maybe more.
Tom: O.K….O.K….Do you know who is involved?
Deena: No.
Tom: We’re turning back toward New York. We’re going back to the World Trade Center. No, wait, we’re turning back the other way. We’re going south.
Deena: What do you see?
Tom: Just a minute, I’m looking. I don’t see anything, we’re over a rural area. It’s just fields. I’ve gotta go.6:45 a.m. Third cell phone call from Tom to DeenaAdvertisement
Tom: Deena
Deena: Tom, you’re O.K. (I thought at this point he had just survived the Pentagon plane crash).
Tom: No, I’m not.
Deena: They just hit the Pentagon.
Tom: (tells people sitting around him “They just hit the Pentagon.”)
Tom: O.K….O.K. What else can you tell me?
Deena: They think five airplanes have been hijacked. One is still on the ground. They believe all of them are commercial planes. I haven’t heard them say which airline, but all of them have originated on the east coast.
Tom: Do you know who is involved?
Deena: No
Tom: What is the probability of their having a bomb on board? I don’t think they have one. I think they’re just telling us that for crowd control.
Deena: A plane can survive a bomb if it’s in the right place.
Tom: Did you call the authorities?
Deena: Yes, they didn’t know anything about your plane.
Tom: They’re talking about crashing this plane into the ground. We have to do something. I’m putting a plan together.
Deena: Who’s helping you?
Tom: Different people. Several people. There’s a group of us. Don’t worry. I’ll call you back.6:54 a.m. Fourth cell phone call to Tom to Deena
Deena: Tom?
Tom: Hi. Anything new?
Deena: No
Tom: Where are the kids?
Deena: They’re fine. They’re sitting at the table having breakfast. They’re asking to talk to you.
Tom: Tell them I’ll talk to them later.
Deena: I called your parents. They know your plane has been hijacked.
Tom: Oh…you shouldn’t have worried them. How are they doing?
Deena: They’re O.K.. Mary and Martha are with them.
Tom: Good.Tom: We’re waiting until we’re over a rural area. We’re going to take back the airplane.
Deena: No! Sit down, be still, be quiet, and don’t draw attention to yourself! (The exact words taught to me by Delta Airlines Flight Attendant Training).
Tom: Deena! If they’re going to crash this plane into the ground, we’re going to have do something!
Deena: What about the authorities?
Tom: We can’t wait for the authorities. I don’t know what they could do anyway. It’s up to us. I think we can do it.
Deena: What do you want me to do?
Tom: Pray, Deena, just pray.(after a long pause)
Deena: I love you.
Tom: Don’t worry, we’re going to do something…”
The narrative of United Flight 93 stands as a testament to the extraordinary courage ordinary individuals can summon in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is a poignant reminder of human resolve, of how, even when confronted with terror, the spirit to resist, to fight back, persists against the odds.
Tom Burnett, Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, and others aboard Flight 93 are remembered not merely for their final actions, but for embodying what it means to act selflessly, protecting others at one’s own risk.
“That day (September 11) had a profound impact on me. I think of Tom and that day often. His words to ‘do something’ stick with me and it’s something I believe in and something we shared. I’ve taken that with me over the past 20 years and try to ‘do something’ myself. Obviously, it’ll likely never be something as big as what Tom did, but I try to make positive change as often as I can.”
“Tom was always somebody people gathered around,” Swanson says. “By definition, to be a leader, you have to be followed, and he was always being followed. It felt fitting to start a leadership program in his name as a way to prompt growth and have people practice courageous behavior in their everyday lives.”
Jeff Swanson said (Burnett and Swanson were both involved in Alpha Kappa Psi, a University of Minnesota business fraternity)
The impact of their heroism continues to echo years later, underscoring the lasting legacy left by those who boarded Flight 93. They became symbols, not of tragedy, but of bravery, leaving behind a narrative of incredulous courage and sacrifice. Would you, faced with such dire circumstances, muster the courage to defy terror and protect others?